Headliners: Adventure in 60 Seconds

A roundup of the latest adventure news, by Mindy Zacharjasz

Talk about beating the heat: Jorge Pacheco dominated the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon Tuesday, a challenge running from the lowest spot in North America (Death Valley) to the trailhead of the highest spot in the lower 48 (Mt. Whitney). With 17,700 feet of cumulative vertical ascent and descent, that’s like running up ten Empire State Buildings, down five Eiffel Towers, and across the state of Louisiana.

Pro-Tibet politi-climbing is an Everest no-no. Nepal slapped a two-year climbing ban on William Bryant Holland, the climber who was booted off Everest in April for carrying a "Free Tibet" banner in his pack. Holland has bagged five of the Seven Summits, but his next Everest push will have to until 2010 when the ban is up. 

But all is not a loss this week in mountaineering: A new unofficial speed record was notched for Mount Rainier.

Hawaii may soon be exporting something new to the mainland – its garbage.  Oahu is running out of landfill space and is currently reviewing bids from mainland landfill companies. But there’s good news in garbage, too: Soon Ottawa could be turning around its own trash with a new waste-to-energy facility in the works for 2009 which could provide energy to 19,000 homes. One town in eastern Japan is nipping the problem in the bud. The mayor has vowed to create a "zero waste town" with no waste collection – just 34 categories of compost and recycling. 

Trash seems to be moving almost as fast as the new 3G iPhone these days. But what to do with your old gear?  Instead of pitching your old tech toys, find a freecycling community to give them a home.